Tribute for Traitors 2: Her Hero
by Crazylily1007
Summary: uke's death from the one and only Luke Castellan himself. wHat was he thinking as he gave up his life? I was originally going to put this with my Chris story "At the Amphitheator" but decided to make it a seperate story. Originally planned as two-shot, but will be three. rated T I guess for teensy tiny bad language and character death also Luke may seem OOC. just a little bit
1. Chapter 1

I had walked quickly and had tried to merge with the crowd. Soon I was in front of a clean, normal looking house. The neighborhood and the house itself were so normal looking and cheerful. Monsters and Greek gods…. For a moment, those just seemed like stories.

A hollow laugh came out despite my efforts. I had been thinking how my choice would change all that. How I could change the world. But, after hearing what I had to do, I was scared, wanted to back out of it. I missed the old days. I didn't simply miss it. I wanted to go back to those days, so much that it hurt.

I rang the doorbell hoping that she should answer the door. Not her father, not her stepmother, nor her step brothers.

To my relief it was her that opened door. It was Annabeth Chase, with her blond hair and startling grey eyes, and she looked beautiful as ever.

Her face changed from one of confusion to a mixture of fury, pain, and shock when she saw me.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, her grey eyes scanned me as to find out my motives.

"Look, Annabeth. I'm here alone without any member of my-Kronos's troops. I'm here under a flag of truce. I just need five minutes to talk, Annabeth."

She looked doubtful but she gestured me to follow her. I followed her into the backyard. The feeling of secrecy was thrilling, a painful reminder of my better days with her.

"Alright, what is it?" She had asked crossing her arms in front of her chest, her chin slightly jutted out in that expression I had missed so much.

"Annabeth, Kronos is planning to use me to topple the gods and take over the world."

Annabeth responded harshly. "So what? Isn't that what you had planned, Luke Castellan? Isn't that what you had wanted?"

I ran a hand through my hair. I was getting impatient.

"Annabeth, he will be using me like a stepping stone. I-I don't want that. I am starting to have second thoughts." I felt my voice shake. Annabeth was simply looking at me. Was it genuine concern that I saw in the depths of her stormy eyes? Or was it simply mere pity at what I had become? I continued.

"I want to run away. I don't want to do this anymore. Annabeth, come with me. We can run away together again. It will be like it was seven years ago. You and I will be together. No Kronos, no prophecies, nothing. Please?"

Annabeth looked as if she was contemplating between the choices. She got a faraway look as if she was thinking about those days as well. She turned to me with a sad look and shook her head.

"Why? Annabeth, please. Why not? Please, Annabeth, help me."

"I can't. How do I know if this isn't a trick? Besides, I would have to leave camp…. My friends….Percy…."

I felt a stab of pain and a pang of jealousy.

"Annabeth, why can't you understand? I'm trying to stop while I can!" I could feel my anger rising. She cared more for a camp, for Percy Jackson than me.

"Luke…."

"Damn it, Annabeth! I'm asking for your help! I don't want to have to fight you!" My voice was becoming shaky again. "I don't want to hurt you! I'm afraid that I will hurt you without knowing. I'm afraid I'll be too ruthless to ever remember what you were to me!"

In one swift stroke, I drew out Backbiter and pointed it at her.

Annabeth's eyes widened and froze. She tightened her grip on the knife I had given to her.

"You might as well as fight me here then. This is the last chance you'll get. I might not be myself next time I meet you."

She just looked at me with sad eyes filled with pain. I didn't like that face. I didn't like the fact that I had caused that pain.

"You won't be changing your mind then?" I asked softly.

"Luke, I'm- I'm sorry." Annabeth looked away. I lowered Backbiter. I turned away and jumped over her fence. Her grey eyes were branded into my mind as my last memory of her before I gave myself up to Kronos.


	2. Chapter 2

**And ta-da! My amazing readers (if there are any) here is the second chapter! Most of the dialogues belong to Rick Riordan...so do the characters...****:(**

**Oh, and thanks to Lulu Caty for reviewing and favorite-ing(?) me! I really appreciate it :)**

**Well..um enjoy!**

* * *

"Family, Luke. You promised."

I heard her whispering. It was faint, like it was coming from a far distance, but I could still hear it. And it gave me strength. I remembered. I remembered that promise eons ago when I vowed to keep my family safe. When I swore I would protect that little girl with grey eyes forever.

Seeing her weak and bloody made anger like I never knew coarse through my veins. Nothing, not even Kronos, was allowed to hurt her like that. I was going to keep the promise. I wasn't going to be like our other families always letting us down, always going back on their words. No, I would not. WIth a surge of strength I'd never known before, I swatted the spirit of Kronos away. I suppose this was what genie thought whenever he squeezed though that tiny lamp; it was like squeezing through a tiny space, forcing every one of my muscles and expanding as I squeezed through. I threw all of me against Kronos and finally, I did it.

It was like breaking onto the surface for the first time after spending years under deep, murky water. I gasped and stumbled. "Annabeth..."

'CASTELLAN!' Kronos roared inside my mind, still putting up a hell of a fight. We struggled over the control of MY body(How wierd that sounds...After all, it is MY body). Panting, I forced him down again, but just barely. There was a dull thobbing in my head that was steadily growing louder.

"My knife." I could see Annabeth trying to raise her dagger. I recognized that dagger, it was the one I gave to her so many years ago. It gave me a strange sensation in my heart to think that she had kept it all these years. But why-

Then it all made sense. The prophecy. The cursed blade.

It was cursed because of a broken promise. MY broken promise. Now Annabeth was hurt, her arm broken, her face bleeding and bruised, because I broke my promise.

But not anymore. I was ready. The blade wouldn't be cursed anymore. 'I will keep my promise. I promise I won't let anything hurt you. I'm not going to fail you like our families did us.'

"Percy, please.." I ignored the pang of jealousy in my heart.

Percy surged forward and scooped up the knife. I was vaguely aware of Backbiter spinning out of my hands, landing among the glowing coals. But I couldn't care that mattered was Annabeth. I had to check whether she was alright. I took a step toward her when Jackson put himself between me and her.

"Don't touch her," he growled. 'Move it, Jackson' I hissed in my thoughts. His bravery was admirable, and I could see it in his eyes that he really cared for Annabeth. Just as I did, Annabeth held about the same value as the western civilization, as the world itself. Which was...a lot.

But it wasn't time for his idiocy. Ii felt my anger growing at his stupid hero antics. As soon as I allowed myself to feel anger at Jackson, I realized my mistake: I allowed Kronos a momentum to possess my body again.

I scrambled to push him back, but it was too late. "Jackson..." Kronos growled, that voice like knife scraping stones masked under MY voice.

Burning. That was all I felt. It was as if my body was on fire, like molten lava pouring over-no pouring out from inside me. I felt like every cells of my body would combust; maybe this was what an overdose of ambrosia and nectar was like. I could hear Kronos smirking to himself, me, whatever.

'Good-bye Castellan. You've been a great help. Pity you won't live to see the new era you so desperately craved for.'

Curse him to the bottom of Tartarus.

With one final effort I managed to push Kronos to the side again. I gasped and desperately called out to Percy.

"He's changing. Help. He's...he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please-"

"NO" With a furious bellow that probably damaged my eardrums, he took charge again. He turned for Backbiter glowing hot in the hearth. Percy Jackson, that poor, brave, brave kid tried to stop him but he just ended up flying acroos the room and cracking his head on the base of some god's throne.

The hearth fire was unnaturally bloody red. Kronos grabbed the scythe but quickly dropped it. His hands-my hands- were ruined from the hot metal. His pain was all I needed. I threw myself once more and regained control. I spotted Hestia frowing at me-well, her father. I gave a silent thank-you prayer to her-one of the last prayers I would make, it seemed.

But the seering pain in my hands was passed onto me. I bit my lips. Everything was hot, gold and my hands hurt like crazy. My legs gave way and I collapsed, clutching my burnt hands.

"Please, Percy..."

I could see Percy struggling to get up. He moved towards me, his hands gripping the knife. His stance and the look in his eyes gave away everything to me. He was going to kill me.

Normally, I would have had a problem with someone trying to kill me. This time. I didn't. I was willing to sacrifice my life for everything, for Annabeth. I was going to die anyway and I knew this was what I needed to do. It had to end here, by my own hands. I moistend my cracked lips. It was getting hard for me to even speak. I barely managed to force out the words: "You can't...you can't do it yourself. He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can..can keep him controlled." I wasn't really sure about the whole "keep control" part. I had a hard time pressing him down and speaking at the same time. And my body was growing even hotter and I could smell cloth burning.

Percy raised his knife to strike. Then he looked at Annabeth as if he was uncertain about what he was about to do. I saw understanding pass through his eyes.

He wasn't the hero. I was. I was the one of the prophecy. His choice was the tipping point of the scale: destory or save.

"Please," I groaned. I could feel him, growing stronger, I could hear his laughter rumbling deep inside.

"No time." I squeezed out those two words when Percy thrust the knife at me.

His grimy bloody hands held out the leather gripped hilt of the dagger to me. His face was solemn and I could only guess at the thoughts running around his head. Somewhere, Grover yelled somethng, but I couldn't make it out. The whole room was silent and the only thing I was focused on was two pairs of eyes, one grey and the other sea green. Both trying to determine what I would do. The choice I would make.

I grasped the hilt of the dagger.

I saw fear and doubt flicker in those sea green eyes.

I undid the straps of my armor. Faces of people swam in my eyes. Silena, Beckendorf, Ethan...and countless others who lost their lives because of me. I took a deep breath. I was going to make sure their deaths weren't in vain. It was something I owed to them.

I exposed my Achilles's heel: a small spot under my left arm. _A hero's sould, cursed blade shall reap. _'you are no hero, Castellan. You're nothing but a traitor.' Kronos whispered.

I showed some respect to titan lord by telling him to shut up.

I barely stabbed myself with the tip of the dagger when I screamed in pain. I couldn't think. I felt like something was violently ripped from me, tearing my breath away. It was like taking the dip in the Styx again-worse if possible. After a moment of blinding pain everything was still. I slowly opened my eyes and took a shaky breath against cool marble floors.

* * *

**I think Luke started to sound a bit like Percy towards the end...I couldn't resist trying to put in some dry humor and a chance to tell Kronos to shut up.**

**If he's too OOC, my excuse is: hey, you're dying seeing the girl you love like another guy. It's enough to make anyone turn OOC...or not. go figure...**

**This one is actually pretty long(almost twice the length of the 1st chapter) and I'm pretty proud of it...This was originally a two-shot but I just decided to go ahead and extend it to three.**

**So! how was it? Good? Bad? Hilarious? Unacceptable? Plz leave a review! I'm sure Ethan will get you some mochis**

**(I went to Japan and saw this sort of famous mochi selling place and the place was named...*dramatc pause* Nakamura! so yeah...)**


End file.
